Alex Kondeas is a Chartered Financial Analyst®, Certified Financial Planner™, and managing partner of Fierce Financial Group. Alex previously served as a tenured professor and Chair of the Department of Accounting, Economics, and Finance at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), where he also coordinated the CFP® Board-registered program in Personal Financial Planning and directed the Center for Excellence in Financial Services.

Alex has published extensively on investing and economics and authored finance textbooks still used at universities today. With more than two decades of experience teaching finance and training new advisors entering the profession, he brings a depth of analytical expertise and academic rigor to Fierce’s investment philosophy.

Chris Cercy is a Certified Financial Planner™ and managing partner of Fierce Financial Group. After earning his degree in finance while studying economics and mathematics, Chris set out to understand the inner workings of traditional investment firms. After learning how large institutions routinely placed sales and commissions ahead of client outcomes, he built Fierce as a transparent, sales-free alternative.

He later partnered with his former finance professor and mentor, Alex, to shape Fierce into a firm defined by discipline and uncompromising fiduciary standards. Today, Chris focuses on portfolio management for high-net-worth and cross-border families, particularly those navigating complex international financial structures. His approach combines precision, clarity, and a strict commitment to protecting client interests.